Mariblock Weekly
🟠 M-Pesa meets blockchain
Plus: 🇬🇭 Ghana brings crypto into its regulatory perimeter with a new VASP law; 🇿🇦 South Africa’s central bank says CBDCs matter — just not right now
Dec 26, 2025
Ogechi Nelson
20 storiesOgechi is a reporter with Mariblock. She is committed to spotlighting crypto and blockchain conversations in Africa by reporting accurate and useful information.
Mariblock Weekly
🟠 Discovery Bank to offer in-app trading via Luno in SA
Plus: 🇬🇭 Ghana to deploy blockchain to track gold and curb illegal mining; 🇲🇦 Morocco publishes draft crypto rules.
Nov 28, 2025
Regulation
South Africa reiterates crypto and stablecoin risks amid rising use
SARB said the absence of a complete regulatory framework for crypto assets and stablecoins remains a key vulnerability in South Africa’s financial system.
Nov 26, 2025
Tokenization
Ghana Gold Board to launch blockchain tracking system by end of 2026
Gyamfi said the system will use blockchain to record the movement and sale of each gram of gold purchased and exported.
Nov 25, 2025
Mariblock Weekly
🟠 A new South African stablecoin is now live on Luno
Plus: 🌍 Here’s why Flutterwave is enabling stablecoin payments via Polygon
Nov 20, 2025
Mariblock Weekly
🟠 Why Yellow Card shuttered its retail business
Plus: 🇿🇦 USD stablecoins can undermine African monetary sovereignty — SARB Governor
Nov 13, 2025
Mariblock Weekly
🟠 Flutterwave jumps on the stablecoin train
Plus: 🇳🇬 Nigerians prefer crypto investments and gambling to the capital market — SEC DG
Nov 5, 2025
Mariblock Weekly
🟠 Nigeria and South Africa exit FATF’s grey list
Plus: 🌍 Nigeria, South Africa and two other African countries exit FATF’s grey list 🇿🇦 Ripple to provide digital assets custody services for Absa’s users 🇰🇪 Kenya edges toward crypto regulation as parliament passes VASP bill
Oct 30, 2025
Stablecoin
Africa moved $54 billion in stablecoins; now what?
Despite these impressive figures, there is a huge policy vacuum sitting between potential and scale.
Oct 21, 2025
CBDC
Uganda launches CBDC pilot in $5.5 billion tokenization drive
The digital currency is backed by Ugandan treasury bonds and can be accessed via smartphones.
Oct 9, 2025
Mariblock Weekly
🟠 Circle backs CV VC’s $20M African Blockchain Fund
Plus: 🌍 USDC-issuer Circle backs CV VC’s $20M African Blockchain Fund 🇳🇬 Experts call Nigeria’s crypto tax regime “progressive”
Oct 3, 2025
Mariblock Weekly
🟠 New law: Crypto taxes and penalties arrive in Nigeria in 2026
Plus: 🌍 Coinbase-backed Onboard 3.0 attracts 10k users two months after launch; 🇳🇬 Kredete raises $22 million to fuel expansion efforts
Sep 24, 2025
Mariblock Weekly
🟠 Sub-Saharan Africa emerges as third-largest crypto market globally
Plus: Mariblock Roundtable; 🇿🇦 South Africa’s Altvest to raise $210 million for Bitcoin treasury reserve
Sep 15, 2025
Markets
Sub-Saharan Africa now the third-fastest-growing crypto region, Chainalysis
Nigeria led the region with $92.1 billion in value received over the 12-month period, nearly three times that of South Africa.
Sep 11, 2025
Mariblock Weekly
🟠 What “OnChain” actually means — and why it matters for Africa
The OnChain Conference 2025 brings together Africa’s blockchain builders, regulators, and business leaders for two days of focused discussion on the operational realities of building onchain systems.
Sep 11, 2025
Litigation
AFAN’s blockchain partnership sparks concerns over Tingo connection
The company has not clarified whether it operates independently from the entities involved in the Tingo SEC fraud case.
Sep 11, 2025
Bitcoin
South Africa’s Altvest to raise $210 million for Bitcoin treasury reserve
The Johannesburg-based firm will rename itself Africa Bitcoin Corp. and hold the cryptocurrency on its balance sheet.
Sep 9, 2025
Stablecoin
Ripple brings stablecoin RLUSD to Africa in partnership with Chipper Cash, VALR, Yellow Card
Ripple described Africa as a “natural next step” for RLUSD, citing increasing demand among businesses worldwide.
Sep 4, 2025
Stablecoin
Mastercard expands partnership with Circle to enable stablecoin settlements in EEMEA
The two companies have already partnered on crypto card solutions with Bybit and S1LKPAY, which use USDC to settle transactions.
Sep 3, 2025
Stablecoin
Nigeria leads stablecoin adoption with $22 billion in transactions
According to the study, stablecoins accounted for 43% of total crypto transaction volume in sub-Saharan Africa in 2024.
Sep 1, 2025